Cargill lifts United Way above goal

By Kevin Lews Herald Editor

Published 12:00 pm, Friday, December 9, 2011

Photo: Kevin Lewis/Plainview Herald

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As Plainview Area United Way Executive Director Mary Anna Self fills in the mock check, United Way Division Chair Nancy Stukey (left), Campaign Chair Cindy Wieland and Cargill fundraising coordinator Barbara Howard look on. With 100 percent participation from its close to 2,230 employees, Cargill will contribute $168,500 to PAUW’s campaign drive, helping the organization surpass its $425,000 goal by some $49,000. less

As Plainview Area United Way Executive Director Mary Anna Self fills in the mock check, United Way Division Chair Nancy Stukey (left), Campaign Chair Cindy Wieland and Cargill fundraising coordinator Barbara ... more

Photo: Kevin Lewis/Plainview Herald

Cargill lifts United Way above goal

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Whether it’s a few pennies or much more than that, every one of the close to 2,230 employees at Plainview’s Cargill beef-packing plant contributed to the Plainview Area United Way.

For the second straight year.

On Thursday afternoon at the plant, the announcement of the total of all of those pennies and nickels and dimes was made: $168,500.

“Most of that comes from (the employees) out on the line,” said Cargill General Manager Jim Rathke.

Cargill’s contribution — one of the largest ever received by PAUW by a single company — boosted the total for the 2011 fundraising campaign to $474,000. That’s $49,000 above the $425,000 goal, meaning the tradition that PAUW has never failed to reach its goal continues.

That came as a big relief to campaign chair Cindy Wieland.

“I’m glad and excited we made the goal,” she said of the 36th straight time the goal has been reached since United Way’s inception in 1975.

In all, close to $10 million has been raised.

“It was a smooth campaign,” Wieland said.

PAUW Executive Director Mary Anna Self said now the pressure is on next year’s campaign chair, which happens to be Rathke.

“Now you can join all the past campaign chairs in telling Jim that we’ve never failed to reach our goal,” Self told Wieland.

Unfortunately, Rathke won’t have the benefit of the person most responsible for the success of Cargill’s campaign, Barbara Howard. She is taking a job with Cargill corn milling operations in Dalhart and Bovina.

“Jim will miss you next year,” Wieland said.

Howard said the key to Cargill’s successful campaign since she took it two years ago has been educating employees about the good things United Way does in the community through 12 member agencies.

“Cargill is more than just a beef-packing plant,” Howard said she tells employees.

She said the company takes its charitable giving seriously, whether it’s monetary donations through United Way or giving time through organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“It’s good to work for a company that is so aligned with its communities,” said Rathke, adding that Plainview’s plant donates more funds than any of Cargill’s other beef-packing facilities.

“Everybody really pulled together,” Howard said.

Rathke later praised agency representatives for the work they do, both in ministering to the community and in making the most of contributions.